Bella Swan, Vampire Hybrid
by LGilbert1982
Summary: Bella Swan is Half Vampire/Half Human. She and her vegetarian vampire father, Charlie Swan, have moved to Forks, Washington to live among humans. When they meet the Cullens, everything becomes much more than they expected.
1. Chapter 1: Forks

**Disclaimer:** Twilight and all characters of this story are property of Stephanie Meyer. I have no rights to this work, and seek no financial gain from it.

**Chapter One: Forks**

I was lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling, my thoughts focused on what the recent move meant for us. My father, Charlie, and I settled in a small house in the quiet town of Forks, Washington to start our new life. I was going to school for the first time tomorrow and I was quite nervous. I had practiced my control around humans for many months, but I was still nervous about it. Charlie had home schooled me the first eight years of my life, and this was the first time I was going to be in such close proximity to this many humans for so many hours. Charlie believed I could handle it, but it still did not help my uneasiness.

Despite this being my first year in school, I would be starting my junior year tomorrow. I may have only been eight years old, but I looked seventeen. I had grown quickly and had stopped growing about 6 months ago, now I would always look seventeen. So this was the first time of many that I would be starting my junior year in a new school. I slammed my fist down angrily on my bed, causing it to tremble under my strength. _I wish we could have waited just one more year, _I thought. I missed my home in the mountains, and I was worried that these humans would figure out my secret and we would be forced to move yet again.

What if one of these humans discovered I was half-vampire? Could that information get back to Aro and the rest of the Volturi? I just did not understand why my father wanted to take these chances. He knew that if Aro found out about me, that he would stop at nothing to make be part of his coven. Why risk exposing us like this? I know he enjoyed his work, enjoyed interacting with humans, and most of all, enjoyed the ease of a permanent residence, but I would have been just as happy as a nomad. Yes, it was nice being clean and having a comfortable bed to sleep in during those times I did have to sleep, but I would have happily given that up. I felt safer and freer in the woods. Besides, even though I could eat human food, I preferred to hunt. Being around humans during meal times would just force me to eat human food.

"Bella," Charlie's impatient voice traveled from downstairs, "Bella, come down here now!" She could hear him tapping his foot lightly on the tiled floor downstairs. She sighed crawling out of bed, knowing that if she didn't go down now he would surely come upstairs and drag her down, literally.

She raced down the stairs and was standing in the living room with Charlie in a matter of seconds, "Yes, Dad?" she asked so quietly that if he had been human, he wouldn't have heard her. She blushed, glancing at the floor sheepishly before meeting his glare again. As much as she loved her father and understood that he'd never hurt her, his glare still managed to send a chill down her spine. He stood there glaring at her with his arms crossed, his foot still tapping tightly on the floor. His eyes were black from thirst, and his jaw was tightly clenched, but she still managed to see the love in his eyes.

"Bella, I know you do not like the idea of starting school this year, but we have already been over this. You are going!" he hissed at her in agitation.

Bella sighed, "Yes, Dad, I know." She kept her brown eyes trained on the floor.

Charlie sighed, "Come on Bells, we need to hunt. We can not afford to take any chances."

Bella grinned excitedly. She had always loved hunting with her Dad. It was something they did not get a chance to do together much anymore.

After locking up the house, they took off into the forest. Bella quickly took down two elk and a deer and waited for her father to finish burying his own kills. Despite the herbivores being less appetizing than her normal choice of carnivores, the hunt was no less exhilarating. It felt nice to run wild in the forest with her father again. She could not wait to do so again.

Of course, now that they were heading back to the house, she could not help but to dwell on her worry again. What if she could not handle this? What if someone bled? Would she be able to control herself? Would someone notice that she was different? Needless to say, Bella was terrified.

Charlie noticed her internal conflict and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Bella, you will do fine. You'll see."

Bella just gave her father a tentative smile before racing him back to the house. Of course, she had always been faster than him. He may have been much stronger, but he had nothing on her when it came to speed. They entered the house laughing heartily before Bella made her way upstairs to change for school.


	2. Chapter 2: Forks High

**Disclaimer:** Twilight and all characters of this story are property of Stephanie Meyer. I have no rights to this work, and seek no financial gain from it.

**Chapter Two: Forks High**

Bella pulled up to the school in her new yellow mustang convertible. Normally she did not want to appear so ostentatious, but went it came to cars, fast was the only way to go. Bella refused to drive something that would not at least move faster than she could run.

After slipping into the office and getting her class schedule, Bella made her way to her first class. She was happy to note that while there was a slight burn in the back of her throat due to the close proximity of so many humans, the burn was manageable. She did not really feel thirsty at all. It did annoy her that so many people stared at her though. Having the inhuman beauty of a half-vampire had its disadvantages when you wanted to blend in. Luckily most humans tended to shy away from her just like they did full vampires. While everybody stared, no one had yet to try to approach her, thankfully.

Bella sat in a vacant seat and waited for class to begin. Shortly before the first bell rang though, she caught scent of something that made her blood run cold. Vampire! It was not her father either. What would they be doing so close to a school though? Did someone discover her secret, or was it another vegetarian vampire? Her father had told her that there were two other covens, or should she say families, of vegetarian vampires in the northwest continent, but they were unsure where they resided. Could this be them? She certainly hoped so. If not, it could only mean danger for her and her father.

Besides, we had always hoped to meet one of the other covens one day. It was the Italian head of one of the two covens that had indirectly led my father to his vegetarian ways. Charlie had heard about the strange vampire that turned from his natural diet to feed on animals when he was working for the Volturi many decades ago. We had never met this vampire, but Charlie had always admired him and hoped to meet him one day. Of course, I would still have to be cautious around them. While my blood did not normally appeal to vampires, there was still a danger there. Plus, we had to be sure we could trust them not to reveal us to the Volturi before we could reveal my secret.

Bella sidled through her morning without much event. Her classes were uneventful and rather boring. Most of the work the school presented Charlie had already gone through with her. Of course, the moment she dreaded the most was fast approaching. She knew as she sat in the cafeteria she would have to keep up appearances, which meant that she would have to eat human food. She really did not like that idea. While human food was not as repulsive to her as it was to full vampires, she really did not care for it. The only food she could really tolerate was meat, preferably rare meat, but even then it did not hold much appeal for her. If it were her choice she would avoid it all together.

Bella got her tray loaded with a hamburger, fries, and water and sat in the first empty table she could find. As she settled into her chair and tried to mentally prepare herself to eat the overly done hamburger, she listened to the talk around her.

A young girl was hissing under her breath to her friend, "Look Jessica," she exclaimed, "Little Miss Goody-Two-Shoes is sitting at the Cullen table. Boy is she in for a surprise."

Jessica laughed, "Yeah Lauren, I can't wait to see the look on her face when the Cullens tell her to move it."

Bella furrowed her brow in confusion and irritation. Why did the name Cullen sound so familiar to her? She shook her head in agitation. No, she must have just heard the name in passing from one of the other students. These two girls had said nothing but negative comments about her under their breath all day, so Bella was not going to pay their words any heed. If this was indeed the Cullen's normal table and they asked her to move, then big deal. She could not imagine anyone being so rude directly to her face though.

Just as Bella was finally about to force herself to begin eating, the scent of several vampires entered the cafeteria. Her nostrils flared as her head snapped up the entrance doors. Five inhumanly beautiful people sidled into the lunch line. She quickly looked away again when they looked her way. To her relief she did have time to notice the topaz eyes that marked them as vegetarians. She was nervous, but also quite excited that she might meet them. She wondered if they would be able to smell that there was something different about her. Most vampires overlooked it at first, but in the middle of so many humans, the scent might be slightly more noticeable.

Bella listened closely to the whispered words of the group. "She is sitting at our table," one of the females hissed.

A lighter female voice tried to calm her, "Relax, she is new. There is no way she could have known."

"But Alice," one of the males complained, "every where else is full. We have to sit there, and it would be rude to make her move. Do you realize what that means?"

There was a pause and Bella almost looked up at them to see where they were. She was too afraid of them catching her looking though. The girl he called Alice finally replied in a voice none of the humans would be able to hear, "I do not see any complications, Jasper. You won't hurt her, and apparently none of us eat, including the new girl."

"What?" another male voice threw in, "Why not?"

Alice continued, "I don't know why, I only saw that she doesn't. It is weird though, my vision of her is fuzzy, while the rest of us are clear. I wonder why that is? Oh well, let's introduce ourselves."

The other female growled under her breath and two of the males sighed. Bella was exceedingly nervous about this. Would they figure out her secret? Could she trust them? Could she be friends with them? She really hoped so. Her father would be really excited to meet the coven as well, but how would they take the information about a vampire and a half-vampire moving into their territory? Bella could not wait to tell Charlie the news.


	3. Chapter 3: The Cullens

**Disclaimer:** Twilight and all characters of this story are property of Stephanie Meyer. I have no rights to this work, and seek no financial gain from it.

**Chapter Three: The Cullens**

Bella looked up with a tentative smile as the group approached. She noticed from the corner of her eye that the entire cafeteria had their eyes trained on her. They really need a life. She stood, following the standard rules of etiquette, as the group made it to the table. She held back a smirk as she noticed the quick flash of shock on each of their faces. "Hello," Bella said politely with a slight bow of her head, "I am Isabella Swan. Please, call me Bella."

Bella took in the faces of the five vampires in front of her. Each was inhumanly beautiful with topaz eyes and pale skin, but that was as far as the similarities went. The tallest female had long blonde hair and was probably the most beautiful woman she had ever met, but she had a scowl on her face that would have caused a human to cower in fright. Next to her was a tall blonde haired man who was extremely muscular, he had a goofy grin on his face and Bella could not help but to think of a big teddy bear.

Next was a tall man with curly blonde hair. He was not nearly has muscular as his the first male, but he was well toned. The scars that littered his body were enough to bring a slight twinge of fear to any vampire. They were evidence he had been in fights with several vampires and had won them all. There was no malice in his eyes though, so the fear was short lived. Plus, it appeared as if he was holding his breathe, so he obviously did not want to take any chances in hurting anyone. The short, thin girl next to him resembled a pixie with her short black hair sticking out in several directions. She was extremely pretty and had a huge smile on her face.

Bella's eyes lingered on the last male of the group. He was by far the most handsome, though he also looked the most boyish. Though he was thinner than the other two males, he was also well defined and had the most beautiful untamed bronze hair she had ever seen. She found herself wishing she could run her fingers through it. As she blushed at the thought, she noticed his face take on a confused look of concentration. Not wanting to appear to stare, she ignored this for a moment and looked back to the rest of the group.

The pixie like girl smiled wide, "Pleased to meet you, Bella. I am Alice Cullen. Do you mind if we join you, this is where we usually sit?"

Bella smiled in return, "I am sorry, I did not realize this was your table. If you wish me to move, I do not want to intrude?"

The tall blonde female went to open her mouth, but Alice beat her to it, "No, no. That is fine. Please, join us today."

Bella glanced warily at the blonde before smiling at Alice, "Thank you, Alice." Bella sat down and waited for the others to sit around her. The bronze haired boy sat on her right and Alice sat on her left. The muscular male was across from her at the circular table and the curly blonde male was between him and Alice and the tall blonde female was between him and the bronze haired boy.

Once they were all seated, Alice spoke again. "Let me introduce you to the rest of my family." She gestured to her left, "This is my boyfriend, Jasper Hale; my brother, Emmett Cullen; his girlfriend and Jasper's twin sister, Rosalie Hale; and my other brother, Edward Cullen.

Bella nodded to each one as Alice mentioned them. All except Rosalie, who continued to scowl, gave her friendly greetings. Bella chose to ignore Rosalie for now. She hoped that once the girl got to know her that her anger would dissipate. Bella directed her first question to Alice, "are there any other members to your," she paused for she had almost said coven, "family?"

Alice smiled warmly, "Yes, our parents Carlisle and Esme Cullen. Carlisle works as a doctor at the hospital."

Bella's eyes widened at this and she spluttered, "Doctor? But – but how does he manage with…?" She trailed off with a blush. She almost revealed that she knew what they are.

Then she realized where she had heard the name Cullen before, "Wait a minute. Did you say Carlisle Cullen?" she exclaimed wide eyed.

At Alice's confused nod, Bella smiled widely, "Well, that explains it then. Oh, Father will be so pleased!"

Edward jumped in, his eyes narrowed in suspicion, "Explain."

Bella blushed under Edward's glare, and looked at her hands clasped on the table. "Sorry, I – I wish I could explain, but I am unable until my father gives his permission. Please, understand it is only for the safety of our family, not because I wish to hide anything from you. Father will wish to meet Dr. Cullen and the remainder of your family first before we can explain. He would have insisted to meet your…father…out of respect anyway, even if he did not already wish to meet Carlisle Cullen, since we are moving into your…territory." Bella knew this one word would explain volumes to the vampires before her, and she was slightly scared of their reaction to this hint at knowledge, but she knew that she had to give them something or they would never agree to meet with her father.

Jasper and Rosalie both hissed under their breath. She knew that they did so low enough that if she had been human she would not have heard, but she could not help her reaction. She gasped and looked up at Jasper in fear, "Please, we – we mean no harm to your family, or to anyone else in this area. Please, I just – just…"

Bella did not know how to continue, she really wished they had remained in the mountains. She hung her head and tried to hide the fearful tears that were beginning to make her way down her cheeks. She hated the human traits her body had. It made her feel weaker than the others around her. Bella tensed as she felt Edward wrap an arm around her shoulders, "Bella, please don't cry," he pleaded quietly. "They were just surprised, they mean you no harm."

Bella was extremely surprised that Edward was the one trying to comfort her, but the familiar cold arm and his calming scent relaxed her immediately and she soon found herself leaning slightly into the embrace. She smiled as she felt his cold hand reach up and gently brush the tears off her cheek with his thumb.

In the next second, the thoughts of at least two hundred humans and five vampires flooded Bella's head. She pulled away from Edward with more strength than any human could have managed and clutched her head in agony. The power absorption had been unexpected, so she did not have time to prepare herself mentally from the onslaught. She groaned as she tried to gain control over the power and push it to the back of her mind.

Bella could hear Edward calling her name, his voice filled with concern, "Bella, Bella? What's wrong, Bella?" At the same she could hear his thoughts, 'Oh God, what's wrong? Please, God tell me I did not hurt her! Why can't I hear her thoughts, it would make this so much easier. Oh God, Bella!'

As Bella got the new acquired power under control, her features calmed and she slowly lowered her hands. Her voice was slightly shaky when she addressed Edward, "Sorry, Edward, I did not mean to worry you. That was…unexpected!"

"Unexpected?" Rosalie hissed, "What the hell was that?"

"Sorry," Bella replied. "Again I can not explain as of yet. I will say this..." Bella paused and looked at Edward, hoping her next words would at least give him a clue. He had seemed so worried and she wanted so badly to tell him everything. "Edward, you did nothing to hurt me and the reason you can not hear my thoughts is because I have a mental shield."

Bella smirked as Edward's eyes widened in shock, she temporarily lowered her shield so that she could let him hear her next words, 'Edward, I wish I could tell you now, but I can't. In time you will understand. Thank you for trying to comfort me, it means a lot.'

Edward's shock melted into a wide grin and he nodded. Bella noticed the others exchanging glances and figured she should explain. "I can lower the shield for short periods of time with a little effort. Normally he will not be able to access my thoughts, but I can open up to him when I wish it."

Bella gripped her forehead in remembrance of the pain, "How do you do it, Edward? All those voices at once..." Bella shook her head, "Are you able to turn it off?"

Edward shook his head, "No, but I got accustomed to it over time. It can be annoying sometimes, but mostly it is extremely helpful."

Bella nodded in contemplation, "Yes, I can see how that could be the case." Bella was unsure if it was due to her own enhanced ability, or if it was an untapped region of Edward's, but she felt it might be possible she could help him manipulate it further. She would have to practice with it more and see. She liked the idea that she might be able to help him with something.

Alice spoke up, trying to diffuse the tense atmosphere that seemed to have settled around the table, "How about you and your dad come around to our house for lunch on Saturday? You two can explain everything then."

Bella giggled, "Lunch? Well, we can be there around noon. Lunch, however, is certainly unnecessary." With a smirk, Bella motioned to the untouched plates in front of them.

Most of them seem bemused, but were even more confused by the fact that Bella did not eat. Alice laughed, "Okay then, no lunch. We will just meet around noon Saturday."

"Sounds good to me," Bella replied as the bell rang. "Can you tell me which building Biology II is in?" she asked as they stood with their trays.

Edward smiled, "I can show you, I have that class next too. You will have to be my lab partner since the only empty seat is next to me."

A wide grin spread across Bella's face, "Oh, how will I ever manage?" she teased. She heard Emmett's booming laugh ring throughout the hall as Edward and she made her way towards their class.


	4. Chapter 4: Icy Conditions

**Disclaimer:** Twilight and all characters of this story are property of Stephanie Meyer. I have no rights to this work, and seek no financial gain from it.

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Chapter Four: Icy Conditions**

For the next few days Bella continued to sit with the Cullens at lunch and with Edward in Biology. They still wondered quietly what she was since they had never seen anyone like her before, but they accepted they would receive no answers until Saturday. They were slowly starting to warm to her and while Jasper was still extremely cautious and Rosalie still continued to glare at her, she could tell that Alice, Emmett, and Edward were beginning to think of her as a friend. Bella could honestly say that the feeling was mutual.

Her conversations with Edward in Biology were slowly bringing them closer together too. Of course, her blooming feelings for him frightened her a little. She knew she felt more than friendship for him, but just did not think he could ever feel the same way. She was tempted to use her new found power to try and discover what he thought about her, but she felt that would be intrusive, so she brushed that idea off. As long as she could have his friendship, she was happy.

That Friday when she awoke, she was excited. Tomorrow her father and she would be meeting with the Cullens at their house and she could finally explain to them what she was. She was certain once her father met them he would agree they were trustworthy. When she told him about them, he was ecstatic that he would finally get the opportunity to meet _the_ Carlisle Cullen, but had also warned her to be cautious. He was happy that she was making friends though, especially ones that she might not have to break ties with in the future.

Her mood did not even diminish as she saw the icy conditions on the roads. When she pulled into the parking lot, Bella was about to make her way over the Alice and Edward when he saw a look of horror cross his face. Before she could blink she heard the squeal of tires and looked up to find Tyler's van careening out of control straight towards her. She would have had time to get out of the way, but Tyler had already seen her. In order to maintain image, she would have to stay put. The van would not kill her, though it would hurt and likely injure her a little.

Bella realized as she braced herself for impact and heard Edward's screaming thoughts of 'Not her,' that Edward and Alice did not know that she would survive this. Before she could even warn Edward not to risk exposure, he was racing towards her. He smacked into her hard, his arms circling around her like a protective cage. As the impact brought them down, she felt her head smack against the pavement and her vision grayed for a moment.

Though she could not see what was going on around her, she could feel Edward moving her around as he juggled the van. She could hear the sound of the metal squealing against his hands as it tried to wrap itself around them.

Once the loud sounds stopped, she could hear Edward calling her name frantically, "Bella, Bella?" She could still feel his arms wrapped securely around her. His thoughts were frantic, 'Oh God, please let her be all right. Please tell me I did not hurt her myself.'

Bella tried to focus on Edward's face, but her vision was still blurred. Her head was pounding. "Edward," she breathed. "You…shouldn't…have…risked…"

Edward did not seem to hear the words she was trying to speak, "Oh thank God. Shh, Bella. Don't speak. The ambulance will be here soon."

Ambulance, she thought. Why were her thoughts so muddled? Wait ambulance…hospital. No, they could not take her to the hospital…the blood. It was at that moment that she smelled the faint scent of blood coming from Tyler's van. The thirst raged in her throat and she knew she had to get away.

She struggled to remove herself from Edward's grip, though the effort almost made the darkness close in around her vision. "No, Edward," she began as her consciousness began to dim, "Don't…let…them…hospital…can't…" She hoped he could understand as her world faded to black.


	5. Chapter 5: Hospital

**Disclaimer:** Twilight and all characters of this story are property of Stephanie Meyer. I have no rights to this work, and seek no financial gain from it.

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Chapter Five: Hospital**

When Bella awoke, her mind was no longer fuzzy. The fast healing allowed her from being a vampire hybrid was a huge benefit sometimes. She dared not open her eyes yet, worried about what she would face. That was when it hit her – the smell of antiseptic, the faint scent of blood from the far side of the building, the fast beeping of the machine next to her – oh no, she was in the hospital. She could not be here. Her fast heart beat and high temperature would alert the doctors she was different. If the smell of blood got too close she might lose control. Why did this have to happen to her?

Bella sat up slowly, taking only shallow breathes through her mouth in an attempt to remain in control. She spotted Edward leaning in the shadows in the corner, "Bella," he breathed in relief. "You're awake!" He took a hesitant step towards her.

"Edward," Bella said through gritted teeth, "I have to get out of here. I can't…"

She was interrupted as a young blonde doctor walked into the room. "Well, Hello Isabella. It is good to see that you are finally awake."

As Bella looked at the Greek god before her, and took in his pale skin and golden eyes, she knew this was Carlisle Cullen. She could not hold in the gasp that escaped her lips, "Carlisle Cullen?" She blushed as she realized her reaction. With the new breathe her throat burned painfully and she ground her teeth together to beat back the thirst that flared once again.

"Sorry…Dr. Cullen," Bella continued through her teeth, "Please, I must go…"

"Now, Isabella, you know I can not let you leave until I have examined you." Carlisle spoke kindly.

"Bella, please," She corrected. "Please, I…" Bella tried to protest again, but as Carlisle looked at machine readouts, his gasp interrupted her.

Bella noticed Edward tense in the corner, and when Carlisle looked back and forth between the readouts and her for a moment, Bella knew that he had noticed her temperature and heartbeat irregularities.

Carlisle looked at her quizzically and she blushed, "Bella? How do you feel? Are you faint, dizzy, or nauseous?"

Bella sighed, "Dr. Cullen, I am fine. Please, I…"

Once again Carlisle cut her off, "I will be the judge of whether you are fine. With your accelerated heart rate and high fever, you should not even be awake."

Bella growled under her breath in irritation, ignoring the shock on their faces, "That is normal for me. Now, if you do not…"

"Bella!" a familiar voice called from the hall. Bella noticed the two vampires in the room freeze as the scent of the new visitor hit their noses. Edward and Carlisle glanced at each other in shock and confusion before Charlie burst into the room and froze upon seeing the two vampires in the room with her.

Edward and Carlisle instinctively moved to stand in front of Bella protectively. Charlie's menacing growl was enough to make shivers run down Bella's spine. She knew that she had to diffuse the situation, "Dad!" She exclaimed.

Bella could hear both Carlisle and Edward's thoughts scream out in confusion, 'Dad?'

"Dad, it is okay. This is Dr. Carlisle Cullen and his son Edward. Edward brought me in after the accident." Bella sighed in relief when she saw Charlie relax his stance.

Charlie stepped forward cautiously and extended his hand, "Dr. Cullen, it is an honor to meet you. I'm Charlie, Charlie Swan."

Carlisle shook his hand, "Nice to meet you Charlie. You are Bella's father?" he asked with obvious confusion.

"Yes, I am" Charlie replied, offering no further explanation at this point. His golden eyes moved to Edward, "Thank you, Edward, for your assistance."

They both still looked confused, but Edward answered politely, "It was no problem, sir."

Charlie's eyes made their way to Bella, "Bella, are you okay?"

"I am no longer injured, but Dad," Bella grimaced, "you have to get me out of here."

Charlie took in her pained expression and shallow breathing. He stepped forward so that she could bury her face in his shirt so his scent would mask the odor of the blood in the air. "Right," Charlie replied, running a hand through her hair. He turned slightly to face Carlisle, "Thank you Dr. Cullen, but I must remove my daughter now. I take it we will still be meeting with you and your family tomorrow?"

"Yes, just meet up with Alice and Edward at the school tomorrow and they will show you the way." Carlisle paused unsure if he should press the matter, "Charlie, I must insist that I examine her, Bella took a pretty nasty hit to the head and was unconscious when she arrived."

Charlie looked down at her daughter, "How long did she sleep?"

Carlisle looked confused, "About two hours."

Charlie nodded, "Good. I assure you Dr. Cullen that she is fine. If you wish I will allow you to examine her tomorrow during our visit and in the mean time I promise I will contact you if there are any problems, but I must remove her now." Bella was now gripping Charlie's arms tight, her control was slipping.

"Dad, please," Bella groaned miserably. The fire in her throat was unbearable and the monster inside of her was gnawing at its constraints, begging to be freed.

Charlie hissed in pain as Bella's fingernails broke his skin, "Bella, please, loosen your grip. We are leaving now." Charlie looked up to see Edward and Carlisle looking wide eyed at the fingernail marks in his arm. He knew he would have no choice to explain to them now. There are not many creatures out there that could tear through a vampire's skin. He addressed them as he lifted Bella in his arms, "I will explain tomorrow. Please, I must go now."

Carlisle and Edward both escorted Charlie toward the front door. Bella was walking along beside him, her face still buried in his shirt, her fist in a death grip on his arm. Just as they made it into the lobby, the front doors swung open and the paramedics brought in a man strapped to a gurney. Charlie and Edward immediately held their breath as the strong scent of freshly spilled blood filled the room.

It was too late for Bella though, her already weakened control broke and the monster took over. Without a moment's hesitation, she tried to bolt towards the sweet smelling blood that would quench the burning thirst in her throat.

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*****It is likely I will not be able to update again until May 10th. My husband and I have to go out of state for business. I plan to take a notepad with me, so if I get time I will continue writing, but will not be able to post until I get back. If it looks like I might be able to carry my laptop, then I might get lucky enough to post sooner, but there is no guarantee I will have time to write. Thank you for your patience. I am sorry to keep you all waiting.**


	6. Chapter 6: Monster

**A/N: Surprise!!!! We got back sooner than planned from our business trip, so I am posting a new chapter! I hope you all enjoy it!! **

**Disclaimer:** Twilight and all characters of this story are property of Stephanie Meyer. I have no rights to this work, and seek no financial gain from it.

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Chapter Six: Monster**

As Bella tried to race to the blood that would ease her raging thirst, Charlie grabbed her arm and attempted to drag her towards the door. She screamed in frustration of being restrained, "NO! Let me go! I need it!"

"Bella!" Charlie exclaimed, his grip tightening around her. "No, Bella," he hissed, "Hold your breath!" Charlie looked to the wide eyed Carlisle and Edward in desperation. "Please, help me get her outside!"

Edward and Carlisle both helped Charlie drag Bella outside. Even then, Bella struggled trying to get back to the liquid she craved. They pulled her into the witness free shadows of the forest behind the hospital. While Carlisle and Edward held Bella, Charlie knelt in front of her and placed his hands on either side of her face. "Bella, look at me!" Charlie pleaded. "Look at me!"

When Bella's wild eyes looked at him instead of the hospital, he continued, "Good, now take a deep breath." He sighed in relief when she obeyed. The scent of his breath mixed with the clean air helped to clear her mind. "Another," Charlie instructed. This time her eyes focused and she stopped struggling.

Bella looked up at the three vampires around her slightly disoriented. As her mind focused, the weight of what she almost did crashed upon her. She fell to her knees, "Oh God! I almost…I could have…" Bella wailed. "I'm such a monster!"

Charlie wrapped his arms around her, "No, Bella. You are not! You did not hurt him!"

Bella sobbed harder, "But…I…I wanted to! I…I still want to!" She was almost in hysterics now.

Charlie pulled her tighter, "But you didn't hurt him, and even though you want to now you are making the choice not to. You feel guilty about even thinking about it. A monster does not feel guilty about hurting others. This is our nature Bella, you know that. The fact that you choose to appose that nature and the fact that you feel guilty when you slip is what separates us from the monsters."

Bella's tears were lessening, but her guilt kept her from believing his words just yet, "But Dad, I…"

"No," Charlie interrupted. "Do you think me a monster?" he asked forcefully.

Bella's eyes widened, "What? Dad, no!" she exclaimed.

"Even though I spent the first twenty years of my existence slaughtering humans, even though I was responsible for the death of...of…your mother," Charlie swallowed thickly, "and yet you have never once killed a human, never even tasted human blood. How can you even think yourself a monster without calling me one?"

Bella's head snapped up in anger, "That's different! You did not know another way existed during those years, as soon as you found out you changed and…" Bella's anger deflated and she hung her head, "…and you are not responsible for mom's death…I am," she whispered.

Bella jumped as Charlie stood up with a roar of anger. He turned and started punching a tree a few feet away into splinters. After a few seconds, Charlie turned to face Bella again, his fists clenched at his sides, "How many times do I have to tell you that you are not responsible for your mother's death. You were a baby!" he roared, "You had no conscience knowledge of anything past instinct. Renee knew what would happen when you were born, but she loved you enough to go through with it anyway."

"Then you are not responsible either!" Bella yelled back.

Charlie stalked up to Bella and muttered through clenched teeth, "If it weren't for me, she would still be alive. I was the one that was stupid enough to be with her before she was turned. I was the one who got her pregnant."

Tears began to make their way down Bella's face, she spoke in broken whispers, "But you did not know that you could Dad, neither of you did. I am the abomination that chewed its way out of her, if I had not have been born…"

Charlie crouched before Bella and pulled her to him once again. "Oh Bella, don't ever say that. You are not an abomination, you are a miracle. Nothing created out of the love Renee and I shared could ever be an abomination. No one with such a kind and loving heart as you could ever be anything other than a gift. You are proof that creatures like us do have souls, because a dead soulless monster could never create such a beautiful miracle like you. Yes, I miss Renee, but I would not trade you for anything. I love you so much!"

Bella blushed, "I love you too, Dad!"

They sobbed into each others arms for several silent seconds, their audience long forgotten. Bella jumped when Carlisle suddenly cleared his throat. "Sorry to interrupt, but I must get back to the hospital. Is Bella going to be alright?"

Charlie released his grip on his daughter in embarrassment and stood by her side, "Yes, sorry about that!" If he could have been blushing, Bella knew he would have been.

Carlisle smiled kindly, "No worries. Well, then, I will see you tomorrow. I look forward to getting to know you two better." With that he made his way back to the hospital.

Bella was pleasantly surprised that Edward was hesitantly lingering behind. She could tell he was unsure whether he should follow Carlisle or stay behind and speak to her and Charlie first. Bella decided to relieve his tension, "Thank you, Edward. You should not have risked exposure like that for me, but I am thankful all the same."

Edward smiled and Bella flushed, "Well, I couldn't just let that van hit you now could I?"

"Well, considering you did not know I wouldn't have been killed, I guess not." Bella replied with a chuckle.

Edward frowned, "Well, even then, it is obvious you can still be hurt and the van impact would have been much worse. Even had I known, I probably would have still done the same."

Bella furrowed her brow, "Despite the exposure risk?"

Edward stepped forward and took her hand, "Of course, silly Bella," he replied with a chuckle. "Your safety means more than the risk. I would not have wanted to see you hurt, even if it could not kill you."

Bella blushed and found herself lost in Edward's eyes. At that moment she was thankful he could not read her mind, for there was only one thing running through her mind. 'Oh God, I am in love with Edward Cullen.'

Edward and Bella seemed to have forgotten Charlie's presence, so he cleared his throat causing them both to jump in surprise. Bella blushed when Charlie chuckled, but she noticed the wary look he gave to Edward.

"Bella," Charlie began, "we should hunt. We don't want to take any chances."

At the reminder of her thirst, Bella grabbed her throat. She just nodded. When Charlie noticed the sad and longing look she threw at Edward, he sighed, "Edward, would you like to join us?"

Bella immediately brightened and grinned at Edward, hoping he would agree. Edward smiled widely at Bella before addressing Charlie. "Is it safe, sir? I do not want to hurt Bella."

Bella noticed the slight approving gaze he laid upon Edward with this question, and the slight turn up of his mouth, "Of course, Edward. Otherwise, I would not have suggested it."

"Then, yes. I would love to join you," Edward replied.

Charlie just shook his head with a chuckle as Bella grabbed Edward's hand and they raced off into the forest. After a resigned sigh, he raced after them.


	7. Chapter 7: Charlie Swan

**Disclaimer:** Twilight and all characters of this story are property of Stephanie Meyer. I have no rights to this work, and seek no financial gain from it.

**

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Chapter Seven: Charlie Swan**

The next day found Charlie and Bella following along behind Edward's silver Volvo as Edward and Alice led the way to the Cullen house. To say Bella was nervous would be an understatement. Today they would be explaining their story to the Cullens.

Edward and Carlisle had a basic idea of what she was because of the situation at the hospital the previous day, but none of them had heard the whole story. Bella was nervous that they would not accept her after hearing the truth. She was the freak of the vampire world. Not human, but not quite vampire either.

Even she and Charlie did not know everything there was to know about vampire/human hybrids. Could she have children? If she were bit by a vampire, would she be turned into a full vampire or would she remain unaffected? That question alone could hold lots of implications in case she was injured fatally. That was difficult to manage, but not impossible. Maybe Carlisle could run some tests. He is a doctor after all.

Bella believed that Edward probably would not a have problem accepting her since he seemed to care about her and even after her embarrassing show yesterday, he had went hunting with her and her father. It was a wonderful experience. She was starting to believe that Edward could be her mate. It was almost painful to be away from him. She knew that it would destroy her if he could not accept her after learning the truth.

Bella was brought out of her thoughts as Charlie reached over and squeezed her hand. "It is going to be okay, Bella. These are your friends, they will understand."

Bella gave her father a small smile, "Thanks, Dad, I know. I am just nervous."

Charlie chuckled, "Me too."

We both gasped in awe as we pulled up to the Cullen's house. It was more like a mansion than a house. It was white and one entire side was made almost entirely of glass. It was beautiful.

Edward and Alice made sure to be at our doors before we came to a complete stop. Edward opened mine and took my arm as Alice did the same for Charlie. I was sure that Charlie would have been blushing as much as I was if he had been able.

As we entered the house, we were greeted immediately by Dr. Cullen and a beautiful redhead that I presumed must have been his mate. Dr. Cullen stepped forward to shake our hands, "Charlie, Bella, it is wonderful to see you again. Welcome to our home. I would like to introduce you to my beautiful wife, Esme."

Esme stepped forward and shook our hands as well, "Charlie, Bella, it is so nice to finally meet you. Thank you for coming."

Charlie gave her a friendly smile, "Thank you both for inviting us. I am honored to finally meet you."

Carlisle raised an eyebrow at this, but did not reference it as of yet. "Let me show you the lounge and introduce you to the rest of my family."

We stepped into a large room off the foyer and I saw the others from school waiting in the middle of the room. Alice left Charlie's side and skipped over to Jasper while Edward remained by my side.

Carlisle spoke again, "Bella, you have already met everyone and Charlie you have already met Alice and Edward Cullen, but let me introduce you to the rest of my adopted children. Next to Alice is her husband, Jasper Hale. This beautiful blonde is Rosalie Hale next to her husband, Emmett Cullen."

As Carlisle introduced each member of his family they stepped forward and shook Charlie's hand politely. Once introductions were made, we all settled into the various chairs and couches to learn more about each other.

Charlie looked to Carlisle after everyone was comfortable, "I suppose you all would like to hear our story now?"

Carlisle smiled, "Well, we are rather curious, but we will not force you if you do not wish to speak of it."

Charlie looked to each member of the family in contemplation before his eyes finally fell on Bella. She looked at him pleadingly. She really wanted Edward and his family to know the truth. After a moment he nodded, "Okay, it is a long story, but I will explain."

Charlie leaned back heavily in his seat and sighed. Bella could tell that everyone understood at once that this was hard for him. They sat patiently and waited for him to begin. Charlie closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breathe to steady himself before speaking. "I was born in Italy in the year 1884. In 1916, at the age of thirty-two, I brought into Volterra as part of Heidi's fishing group. It did not take long for the Volturi to realize I was different. You see even as a human no mental based powers would affect me. When Aro realized that neither his nor Jane's power would work on a human, Aro gave me the option of escaping death by becoming a vampire. I was scared to die, so that is what I chose."

"When the burning ended, it was discovered that I have both a physical and a mental shield that can be used to protect any size group, so Aro offered me a place on his Guard. As I knew nothing about the vampire world, or being a vampire, I had no other place to go, so I agreed."

"Immediately I hated my existence. I hated taking the lives of humans to sate my thirst. I hated being alone despite the large group of vampires always around me. Most of all I hated the monstrous tasks that the Volturi would delegate to their Guard."

"After being with the Volturi for ten years, I began hearing rumors of the Italian vampire who had rejected the normal vampire diet to instead drink the blood of animals." With this, Charlie smiled at Carlisle fondly and Carlisle returned the gesture warmly. Charlie continued, "At first I thought that there was no way it could be possible, that they just had to be rumors, but over time I heard more and more about this vampire who was now starting his own coven, as this was making the brothers nervous."

"When I realized how much the brothers were trying to hinder the spread of these rumors to prevent any of the Guard from getting crazy ideas, I knew there had to be some truth about this. Over the next few years, I secretly did my own research. I tried to see whether I could learn more about this vampire and his strange diet, as well as see if I myself could follow this diet. Eventually I came across the name Carlisle Cullen and I knew then it was definitely more than a rumor."

Charlie paused his story and addressed Carlisle, "That is why I was so excited to meet you. Though you had never met me, you are the reason why I can stand to look at myself in the mirror now."

Carlisle beamed, "Thank you, Charlie. I am glad we were finally able to meet. The idea that even my story can help someone's life for the better really means a lot."

After smiling fondly at Carlisle for a moment, Charlie continued his story. "So, after being with the Volturi for fifteen years, I finally quit the Guard and went out on my own. It was not easy, but I eventually managed to convince Aro to let me leave. It took me five more years to master my thirst enough to slowly start building my resistance to human blood."

"Finally, in 1946, my resistance was strong enough that I took up residence in a human community and settled in a career. After working in the Guard for so many years, I found that police work suited me. I did not like policing vampires, but using my abilities to help save human lives in the police force helped me feel like maybe one day I could make up for so many years of destruction."

"It was difficult at first since a lot of cases involve a lot of injuries and blood, but I eventually grew all but immune to the scent. The hardest part was the guilt that followed when a criminal got away or a victim died only because I had to restrain myself to risk exposure. The knowledge that if I had been able to move at normal speed, or could have used my physical shield, I could have saved a life or caught that murderer is difficult to cope with each time it happens. Of course, the good things I have been able to accomplish with my added abilities make it worth it."

Carlisle nodded in agreement, "I understand exactly what you mean. It is the same thing being a doctor. Those you lose when you know you could have saved them had the threat of exposure not been an issue makes the job very difficult sometimes, but the reward comes when you are able to save someone that no human could have."

Charlie continued, "About ten years ago, I was working in a small town south of Montreal, Quebec, Canada called Huntingdon when I met Renee. She was human, but I knew instantly that she was my mate. We fell in love quickly. I tried to avoid her at first, in order to protect her, but being the ever observant Renee she quickly discovered what I am. She did not fear me, but instead loved me with all of her being. A year and a half after meeting we were married."

Charlie paused, pain evident on his face. Bella pulled his hand into hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. She knew that Charlie was about to begin her story and it would be even harder for him than it was for her.


	8. Chapter 8: Bella Swan

**Disclaimer:** Twilight and all characters of this story are property of Stephanie Meyer. I have no rights to this work, and seek no financial gain from it.

**

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Chapter Eight: Bella Swan**

Charlie gave Bella a sad smile and took a ragged breath to steady himself before continuing his story. "Renee wanted to be with me forever, so she began to cut ties with her human obligations and we made plans to turn her six months after our marriage. The only stipulation she had was that she wanted to us to be together physically before her change. She was afraid that her desire would be different during the newborn phase."

"I was terrified that I would hurt her, but it was the only human experience she asked for, so I eventually granted her request. We were delighted afterward that it was indeed possible. Two weeks later we were even more surprised to learn that she was pregnant."

Charlie gave a sad smile. Bella could see the venom glistening in his eyes from tears he would never be able to shed. He continued brokenly, "At first, we were absolutely elated. We had never thought it possible that I could father a child. That elation soon turned to fear when we realized how quickly the baby was growing. Even more so even she started weakening and each kick started to bring pain."

"It took a little time for us to realize that she needed to drink blood to keep them nourished. Once we learned that I took down animals and drained them for her. That brought back her strength, but the baby's movements were still causing her pain and sometimes breaking bones. I feared for my mate, and for a time begged her to give up the baby to save her life. She loved her unborn child and me too much to do so though, so I prayed for the best and hoped both my wife and child would make it through this okay."

"After only two months, the baby was born. We had not known what to expect. If we had things might have been different. Of course, I am not a doctor, so even with that knowledge it still might not have been enough."

Bella felt her father's arms wrap around her and pull her close. He was normally not one to show affection, especially not in public, but she was sobbing uncontrollably now. She was sure he needed the comfort as well. She wrapped her arms around his waist and clung to him while he told of her horrific birth.

"The birth was…different. The placenta around the baby was as strong as our skin, so effectively the only way the baby could be born was to…chew…its way out. I…I tried to turn her…after, but…but…it was…it was too late. I c…could n…n…not save her." Charlie was sobbing himself now. Bella and he clung to each other in their grief. The others watched on sadly, silently giving them time to compose themselves before continuing.

After a moment, Bella tried to comfort her dad, "Dad, you did all you could. It was _not_ your fault. She knew the risk, and chose to go through with it anyway. She would not want you beating yourself up over this."

Charlie's tearless sobs began to slow and he gave Bella a sad smile, "I know, Bella. It does not make me miss her any less though." He kissed the top of her forehead before taking several deep breaths.

Once he was in control again, he continued, "I'm sad to say that at first I wanted nothing more than to join my mate in death. The only thing that stopped me was this beautiful girl next to me. That is why I named her Isabella, Italian for beautiful. She was what kept me going after Renee's death. She became my life."

"Of course, you can imagine how terrified I must have been when I realized a few weeks later that Bella's accelerated growth had not stopped. I was so scared that I would lose her too or that I would only have her with me a few short years. I knew I had to try to find out whether any other vampire/human hybrids existed. I searched the world looking for others. It took a few months, and by this time Bella already looked like she was four or five years old. I found a small group of those like her in South America."

"It was there that I learned that the accelerated growth would continue for seven years, at which time she would reach maturity and remain at that age for eternity. I also learned that she is not venomous, only the male vampire/human hybrids are venomous. We still don't know everything there is to know about what Bella is since the hybrids we met only knew what they themselves had experienced, but we learned what we came for, and that was that she was going to be alright."

"For the last eight years, we have tried to remain under the radar so to speak. I know that if Aro finds out about Bella, he would stop at nothing to collect her. We also had to remain hidden to avoid suspicion. At a young age, other vampires would have thought she was an immortal child, and humans would have questioned her accelerated growth. So I spent the last several years home schooling her. When she reached maturity last year we began working on her control around humans. When she was finally ready to be enrolled in school for the first time, we decided to move to Forks. So here we are."

After Charlie was finished with his story, they waited nervously for their reaction. Bella kept her eyes trained on her hands clasped tightly in her lap. When the Cullens continued to remain silent after a few seconds, she felt a few tears roll down her cheek.

Bella was shocked when Jasper crouched down in front of her, "What is wrong, Bella? Why do you feel so sad and dejected?"

Bella sighed, "I will understand if none of you want anything more to do with me. I am not a vampire or a human, just a freaky mixture of the two, and even being around me could bring trouble to your family if the Volturi ever discover I exist. So I will understand if you all want to…avoid me." Bella tried to stay strong, but her voice cracked toward the end.

Jasper smiled sadly, "Bella, there is nothing freaky about you. You are a wonderful person. Besides, we all love you and we would even if you had six arms, so there is no way we would reject you because you are a vampire/human hybrid. As far as the Volturi are concerned, it is unlikely they will find out about you and we will do what we can to help prevent that from happening."

"We are not going to avoid you Bella, it will be great having a few more people to hunt with occasionally and to play sports with, and I know the girls are happy to have another shopping buddy." Jasper chuckled at the face Bella made at the reference to shopping.

"There is no reason to feel so dejected," Jasper took Bella's hand gently in his own and sent her a wave of calm.

The moment Jasper touched Bella, she tensed. She was flooded with every emotion in the room. She pulled away from Jasper with a gasp and wrapped her arms around herself. The emotions of concern and sadness nearly overwhelmed her and she groaned in agony. After her reaction though the emotions shifted to worry, confusion, and…love? She was also surprised at the dramatic increase in her thirst. She was happy this did not hit her while they were at school. It took all of her will power to not go on a rampage, and there was not even a single human near by at the moment.

As Bella struggled to regain control of her new power, she noticed the pained expression on Jasper's face as he felt the strange array of emotions rolling through her. After a moment, she was finally able to turn the power off for now and sighed with relief.

Bella looked to Jasper, "You are an empath, a very powerful one at that." Bella placed a hand on her heart, still racing from the unexpected power absorption. "You have to be the strongest vampire I have ever met, Jasper. How do you manage? The emotions alone almost brought me to my knees, but oh God, the thirst…the thirst was almost too much. To suddenly feel the thirst of every vampire in the room in addition to my own, it almost sent me on a rampage and there are no humans near by. If we had been at school…" Bella closed her eyes and grimaced at the thought.

Jasper's jaw dropped in shock, "You mean I feel their thirst too?"

Bella was confused, "You didn't know?"

"I have always been around other vampires. I thought this level of thirst was normal." Jasper hung his head, "I just always thought I was weak because it was harder for me to control the thirst."

Bella squeezed Jasper's shoulder, "Jasper, you are not weak, far from it. I would say that of everyone in this room you are probably the strongest at resisting the thirst, even stronger than my father and Carlisle. If anyone else in this room had that level of thirst, there would be no way they could be around humans at all. To make it worse, the longer they go without hunting, the harder it becomes on you. Yet, still, you resist."

"Do not ever think of yourself as weak, even when you slip. This increased thirst is the price for having such a unique and powerful gift, and sometimes it may become more than you can handle, but that is not your fault. The best you can do is to keep trying and with the help of the others you _will_ master it one day."

Jasper pulled Bella into a hug, "Thank you, Bella. You don't know how much this means to me."

Bella smiled, "Yes, I think I do Jasper." Bella allowed her new gift to survey Jasper's emotions and she could feel his deep gratitude, relief, and brotherly love.

There was one more thing Bella wanted to do for Jasper, "Jasper, there is something that I would like to try. I want show you exactly how much your gift affects your thirst. I think this will help you to understand exactly how strong you really are."

Jasper was confused, "How are you going to do that?"

Bella smiled, "It would mean blocking your ability for a moment. That way you will only feel your own thirst. Will you allow me to do so?"

Bella could tell Jasper was apprehensive, but after a moment he nodded. "Yes, Bella, I trust you."

Bella took Jasper's hand in hers with a smile, "Thank you." She closed her eyes and focused on Jasper's empathic ability. After she had effectively turned his power off for now, she tasted Jasper's emotions.

At first there was shock, but then a slight bit of panic as all of the other emotions left him. Bella squeezed his hand slightly, "Do not be afraid Jasper, it is not permanent. I know it can be a bit disconcerting. Try not to think about the lack of emotions at the moment. Think about your thirst level. Can you tell the difference?"

Jasper was quiet for a moment, contemplating. Finally, he smiled, "It does seem significantly less. Is this the way it feels for everyone else?"

Bella focused on his thirst level, "Yes, it mimics the level I normally feel about a week after hunting. Now, I am about to release your ability. Brace yourself."

As Bella released Jasper's ability, he gasped. His hand flew to his throat and he hissed, "Damn. That is a big difference. I think we all need to go hunting tonight."

Everyone in the room chuckled. Carlisle spoke, "Of course, Jasper. If we had known that our thirst was affecting you, we would not have been going so long before hunting. We will try to hunt more often from now on. The last thing we want to do is make it harder for you."

Jasper smiled at Carlisle, "Thank you." Jasper gave Bella one last hug before returning to sit next to his wife.

Bella turned to Alice as she spoke, "Bella, could you tell us what happened earlier when Jasper first touched you? You reacted in a similar manner that day in the cafeteria after Edward touched you."

Bella laughed nervously, "Yeah. Well, you see it is part of my gift. For a lack of a better term, you could say I am a sponge or perhaps a better terminology would be a power manipulator. My gift has four parts, the ability to copy, to block, to steal, and to share. It relates to the powers of other vampires."

"The first part happens automatically upon physical contact with a vampire with a special ability. The moment they touch me, I copy their power. Since we have maintained a low profile, I have not come across many vampires, so my collection at the moment is small. I have only collected four powers. The first was my dad's physical and mental shielding. The second was from a hybrid we met on our journey, the ability to place my thoughts in another's mind with physical contact. Then there was Edward's mind reading ability and Jasper's empathic ability. Both Edward's and Jasper's gifts are so powerful and overwhelming that it took me a moment to regain control over the power in order to turn it off until it is needed."

"If I had known what the power was before I absorbed it, then it might not have been so disorienting, but I was caught off guard both times. If any one else here has a special ability, it might be a good idea if I copy it here just so that it does not accidently happen at school one day."

Alice nodded, "I am able to see the future based on people's decisions. That one would definitely be a bad one to copy in public, so we will be sure to do that before you leave today."

Bella smiled, "Thanks, Alice. Now, the second part to my gift is the ability to block. You all witnessed that one earlier. I do not always have to have contact with the vampire to block the ability, but it does make it easier. Basically, I can turn someone's ability off temporarily as long as I am nearby. The moment I leave the vicinity, the ability would automatically reactivate whether I turned it back on or not."

"The third part to my gift is rather malicious and I would not use it unless I was facing a lethal enemy. It is the ability to steal another vampire's power. Though I would effectively gain this vampire's gift, it is different than my ability to copy. I do not need physical contact with the vampire, only a close proximity and concentration. If effective, they would lose that ability…permanently. As I said, it is rather malicious."

"The final part to my gift is the ability to share. With physical contact, I can share any gift I have collected with another vampire. In other words, if I so choose, I could permanently grant any of you a new ability. This is not something I would do lightly though. I would only grant that gift in cases of extreme need or where I think the vampire could make a huge difference with that new ability. It would draw too much unwanted attention if vampires who were previously known to have no ability suddenly had one or more."

Bella took in the stunned faces of everyone around her and blushed deeply. She sighed, "So now you see why the Volturi can never find out I exist? Not only am I different, something they would probably love to study, but I also have a very powerful gift. Aro loves to collect powerful gifts, and he would stop at nothing to collect me if he learned about me."

Carlisle nodded, "We understand completely. I assure you, they will never hear about it from us, and as long as we are near you we will assist in any way we can to insure they never hear about you from other sources either."

Charlie smiled graciously, "Thank you, Carlisle. That means a lot."

Alice bounced in her seat excitedly, "I am so glad you two decided to share your story with us. We are going to be such great friends." Everyone chuckled at her enthusiasm.

Bella smiled, "We were already friends, Alice."

Alice laughed, "I know, silly." She smiled widely, "I meant both of you being friends with the entire family. We will all be great friends, family really, and forever. Now, how do you want to do this power absorption?"

Bella chuckled at how quickly Alice changed the subject, "I guess you could just come and hold out your hand. Once I have prepared myself, I will touch you and it will begin automatically."

Alice bounced over to stand in front of Bella and held her hand out.

"How does your ability work, Alice?" Bella asked.

"Well, I just go into a trance like state and I see visions of things that will happen. Sometimes they come on their own, but I can also trigger them by looking for a specific person." Alice replied.

"Okay, well, here goes." Bella placed her hand next to Alice and closed her eyes. She tried to relax herself as much as possible before gently placing her hand in Alice's.

Despite trying to prepare herself, Bella was suddenly bombarded with image after image of various visions. Some affected only her, others affected Charlie and the Cullens as well, but far more affected the world in general. It was very confusing and disorienting.

Bella tried to gain control over it, but she could not seem to stop the visions. It was almost like her new gift was trying to catch her up on visions she had missed. She did not know what to make of many of them yet and knew she would have to discuss them with Alice later. A few of the world visions had her screaming, so she knew the others must be worried about her. She tried even harder to gain control, but after a while just gave up. She knew that she would not be able to control this gift until the visions stopped. She was really starting to fear that they would never stop.


	9. Chapter 9: Dreams and Visions

**A/N: From here on out, the perspective of this story is going to be first person. Third person is just too difficult to write from. It will still be from Bella's POV for the most part though.**

**Chapter Nine: Dreams and Visions**

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I was not sure how much time had passed since the visions started. Though I was slightly panicked that they may never stop, I had a feeling that I would not be in their grasp for much longer. Any visions truly relevant to my immediate family or friends had long past. I was now only seeing visions relating to the world in general – stock market trends, fashion changes, presidential elections, and so forth.

The biggest fear that gripped me though was the growing exhaustion that was beginning to weigh on me. The struggle to gain control over the new power mixed with the numerous visions themselves was really starting to tire me. If this kept up much longer, I would collapse into a deep sleep the moment the visions stopped. My father and the Cullens were likely worried about me enough already without me passing out entirely. I wish I would have been better prepared for this absorption.

Just as I feared when the visions finally did stop several moments later, my body slumped from the rigid pose enforced by the visions into an unconsciousness heap against my father's cold shoulder. Just before my mind slipped into the land of dreams, I heard the frantic and worried voices of the vampires around me.

_I knew at once that I was in a dream, but it did not stop the situation from feeling any less real – or any less frightening. I was standing in a clearing in the woods, with an unfamiliar assortment of people. I easily recognized Edward who stood protectively by my left side, but while the others near me felt like family in my dream, it was very confusing. Clutched protectively in my arms was a small girl, appearing to be about five years of age. She was a beautiful child – pale, but her cheeks were flushed in anger and concentration, with long bronze curls and deep chocolate brown eyes. More disconcerting was who – or should I say what – was standing to my right. A horse-sized russet-brown werewolf stood protectively next to us, his shoulder only a foot or two from my head._

_The three of us were watching the tree line warily. The moment the group of cloaked figures stepped from the trees, the wolf growled and Edward and I hissed loudly in warning. It was clear our intentions were the same, protect the child. The procession did not slow though and I felt the fear grip me. There were too many. There were only three of us, and I was incapacitated with the child in my arms, there was no way we would ever win against seven well trained vampires, even with my gifts._

_As Edward became aware they were not going to stop, he snarled, "Bella, run!" and launched himself at the advancing line in an attempt to stall them._

_"No!" I screamed as Edward was immediately grabbed by two vampires and ripped apart before I could even attempt to move._

_I watched in agony as he was set to burn before our very eyes, the child in my arms wailing with such fury and grief that the wolf beside me whimpered. One of the cloaked figures stepped forward and lowered his hood. His blood red eyes were falsely apologetic as he appraised me greedily, "Bella, my dear. I am sorry that had to happen. I had no choice once Edward attacked. Such a waste," he shook his head and I could almost taste the disappointment as it rolled off his tongue. "It does not have to be like this. Join us and your daughter shall live. Your mate's fate does not have to be your own."_

_I grimaced in agony and hatred, but knew there was really only once choice in order to save the child in my arms, "If you will let me send my daughter with Jacob, and swear to never touch them or even think of them again, I will do as you ask, Aro."_

_The smile that graced his features made me cringe and I sighed in defeat. Of course he would agree to my terms, he would do anything to collect the most powerful vampire on earth. I had no choice but to join the Volturi Guard._

"No!" I screamed as I jolted awake. In seconds, I was in a crouched position, growling fiercely at my imagined enemy.

"Bella," Charlie breathed cautiously, "there is no danger here. You are with family and friends."

I relaxed as I slowly became more aware of my surroundings. It did not hurt that Jasper was now filling the room with calming waves. The moment I noticed Edward's concerned face a few feet away, tears began streaming down my face, "Oh, Edward."

Without thinking about fact that my father was in the room, or that we were surrounded by Edward's family, or even the fact that we had yet to define ourselves as more than friends, I launched myself into Edward's arms. I was just much too relieved that he was alive. He pulled me close to him and rubbed my back soothingly, "It's okay," he murmured. "I'm here. We're all here. Can you tell us what's wrong? Was it a dream or a vision?"

As reality became clearer around me and I realized the awkward position I was in, I blushed and pulled away rather reluctantly. I imagined that I felt Edward hesitate to let me go as well, but I brushed it off in an attempt to avoid getting my hopes up. I gave him a shy smile and mumbled, "Sorry," before making my way back to my seat on the couch.

I knew I would not be able to avoid this conversation, so I decided to give them a few answers at least. "Well, I am not exactly sure, really. I know it was a dream. There might have been a few elements from the visions I experienced beforehand, but the visions were coming so fast that it is all still kind of a jumble at the moment, so I am unsure. It seems improbable though and appears to be based more on my own fears I have had over the years."

"Could you tell us about it?" Charlie asked gently. I noticed how curious Edward and Carlisle appeared as well, so I decided to give them the basics of the dream.

"Well, I was standing in a clearing with Edward, a werewolf, and a young girl that appeared to be about five years old. After a moment, seven members of the Volturi appeared in the clearing and advanced towards us. When it was clear they would not stop, Edward," I winced at the reminder and felt the tears as they started once more, "charged in an attempt to stall them and yelled for me to run. Before I could even move, they had already destroyed him." I was sobbing now, struggling to control my breath so I could finish my story.

Edward crouched in front of me and held my hand in encouragement. I gave him a small watery smile before continuing. "Aro stepped forward and said that my…" I paused unsure if I wanted to reveal this, but knew they would not understand my choice if they did not know, "…my daughter and I did not have to share in…" I blushed, "…my mate's fate if I joined the Guard." I scowled, "I told him if he would allow me to send her with Jacob, and if he swore to never even think of them again, then I would do as he asked. That is when I woke up."

Everyone was slightly stunned by all of this. I was afraid I had given too much information. Edward spoke after a moment, "Who is Jacob?"

I frowned, "I am not exactly sure. I do not know a Jacob, but I believe he was the werewolf."

Edward scowled, "Send our daughter with a werewolf?" he growled slightly. "That can not be any more than just a dream. Not only would we never be caught off guard like that with Alice and now you having visions, but I would never allow any daughter of mine to be that close to a werewolf."

I felt my heart flutter at the fact that he was not disputing the impossibility of him being my mate and us having a daughter. Of course, that did not stop my next thought, "What I do not understand is how there was a werewolf there in the first place. It was the middle of the day."

Carlisle was thoughtful, "It must have been a Quileute wolf, they transform at will. We actually have a treaty with them, though I do not believe there are any wolves alive at the moment. That reminds me, I need to show you two the boundary line as soon as possible." He paused in contemplation, "What I do not understand is how you dreamed about them when you had no idea they even existed."

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, "You think that parts of the dream may have come from my visions?" My breath caught at the idea that Edward could die, "Oh, God, I…" My words halted, I could only gasp for air.

"Bella," Edward exclaimed in concern. I could also see he was a little hurt, probably wondering if I was upset about the idea of us being together. I decided I would open my shield so he would understand my fears. There was no way I could explain with words right now.

'Oh, God, I can't lose him.' I thought, 'Not Edward, please no.'

Edward pulled me to his chest, "Bella, I am right here. I am not going anywhere. There is no way they would ever catch us off guard like that."

'Please, Edward,' I asked him in my mind. "Swear to me. Swear that if something like that happens you won't sacrifice yourself like that. If I have to join them to save our child, join with me. I would not want that life for you, but I could not bear it if you…'

"Do not even think it, Bella. I swear it, Bella. I will stay by your side, no matter what." Edward whispered in my ear even though the others could hear anyway. I heard my father's sharp intake of breath. I wished more than anything that I could hear what he was thinking at that moment – blasted shield.

I sighed in relief, 'God, I love him. Oh shit, the shield…' I promptly dropped the shield, blocking my thoughts. I heard Edward chuckle and I blushed in embarrassment.

"Oh, Bella," Edward sighed, "do not be embarrassed. Listen to my thoughts."

I did as he asked and tuned in to his mind, it was hard at first since I heard everyone else's inside his as well, but once I located his I blushed again, 'She loves me…she loves me…Oh, Bella, I love you too…so much.' He kept repeating that over and over.

I smiled widely and opened my shield for him again, 'I love you more.'

Edward chuckled, 'Hardly. That is impossible.' With that he gently pressed his lips to mine.

It was as if the world itself had burst into flames. Electricity, heat, cold – all at once, blazed through my veins. Our minds were still linked and that made the experience all the more intense. He was feeling the same thing I was, but we were both experiencing it not just for ourselves, but for each other too. I heard Jasper gasp and suddenly the feeling was doubled once again. I was unsure if he had just lost control of his gift or whether he wanted the others to feel the intensity of what we were, but either way, everyone else knew now.

Edward and I slowly pulled away from each other. We smiled shyly at each other and I blushed. I let my shield drop and pulled away from his mind, which caused him to pout. I just smirked at him in amusement. We gazed into each other's eyes for a moment until I was pulled into another vision. I heard Edward gasp and was sure he was seeing the same vision playing in Alice's head.

_I was standing at the top of the stairs here in the Cullen mansion in a gorgeous white gown. My right arm was linked in Charlie's and a large bouquet in my left hand. Suddenly the wedding march began and we made our way down the stairs. My eyes swept the room in awe of the decorations until they landed on the Adonis standing in front of the priest and beside Carlisle – Edward._


	10. Chapter 10: Shields and Blessings

**Disclaimer:** Twilight and all characters of this story are property of Stephanie Meyer. I have no rights to this work, and seek no financial gain from it.

**Chapter Ten: Shield****s and Blessings**

* * *

As I came out of the vision I was met with Edward's huge smile. The only thing that crossed my mind is 'I suppose Alice will be my matron of honor.' After a second Alice squealed.

I heard Alice's thoughts screaming in my head, 'A new sister…a new sister…and a new uncle.' I could not help but smile at that and I stood up to hug my future sister-in-law. She raced into my arms, "Thank you. Thank you. I won't let you down."

I laughed, "I know, Alice, it will be beautiful. Calm down, it won't be for a few years, you know?"

"I know, but that doesn't make me any less excited." Alice exclaimed. Then she pouted, "How am I supposed to surprise you now?"

I shook my head, "We'll have to work that out. If I place a physical shield around certain people as they make certain decisions or plans, it will block both of our visions. That way we can be surprised. I would not want to ruin Christmases or Birthdays or…marriage proposals." I winked at Edward when I said the last one and he laughed.

Alice furrowed her brow, "But then I would not see it either."

"Sorry, Alice, it is the best I can do." I smirked at her irritation.

Jasper stepped forward in excitement, "You mean you could help me actually surprise Alice for once?"

I nodded excitedly and Alice groaned. I closed my eyes for a moment and slipped a well designed physical and mental shield around Jasper. Edward gasped the moment he could no longer hear his mind.

Alice's eyes glazed over and she screamed, "No! He disappeared. I can't…I can't see him. Please, no…"

"Alice, calm down," I soothed. "It's okay. Look he is right here. There is no way anything could ever hurt him as long as this shield is around him. Try to touch him."

Alice reached out and tried to grab Jasper's arm, her hand was stopped a mere inch inch from his skin. A wide grin spread across Jaspers face, "Incredible. Will it follow me where ever I go?"

I smiled, "Yes, you could go shopping in Paris and the shield would not break unless I willed it. In addition to that I would be able to sense you where ever you are because your mind would stay linked with mine as long as you are under that shield. If I chose to activate my other abilities I could read your emotions or your mind or send you thoughts no matter where you are. For privacy's sake, I would not activate them unless I felt an attack on the shield, but it would allow me to know if you were under attack or where you were if I needed to contact you. You see, Alice, there is no need to worry."

Alice scowled, "I do not like not being able to see him. What…" she glanced at Jasper guiltily, "…what about his control? If I can't see…"

I rolled my eyes, "Honestly, Alice, his control is fine when he is not surrounded by other thirsty vampires. Besides, the shield would keep him from hurting anyone if he did slip. It is hard to drink from anyone when they can not be brought any closer than one inch from your mouth. I would also feel it if his control slipped and would be able to help him control his emotions."

Jasper was intrigued, "But what about when I tried to pick something up or if I wanted to sit down? It would look weird if I was hovering an inch above the chair," he chuckled.

Once again I rolled my eyes, "Do you think I would just forget about that?" I laughed, "Alice, take his hand."

Jasper grasped Alice's hand and entwined their fingers. "But how?" he asked.

I grabbed his other hand and slowly ran my fingers up his wrist. When I moved from his hand where the shield was wrapped against his skin to his wrist, my fingers started to slowly taper away from his skin until they were an inch away from his arm. "I can manipulate the shield any way that I wish. While the shield is one inch away from your body in general for protection's sake, it is wrapped tightly against your body in certain areas for convenience. Your hands, the soles of your feet, and the area between your lower back to midway down your calves are all shielded closer so you can sit, walk, and handle things without drawing added attention to yourself. You and I are also the only ones who can reach through the shield, so you would not have trouble pulling out your wallet either."

Everyone looked impressed, except for Alice. "But wouldn't that leave his hands open to attack?" she asked.

Jasper and I both sighed. "Alice," I breathed in exasperation, "first of all, I doubt Jasper would allow anyone to get a hold of his hands. Besides, even if someone did, the shield would not allow them to remove or crush anything, the best they could do would be to bend his fingers the wrong way. It would not be pleasant, but hardly dangerous. Anybody trying to face him right now would find themselves in a world of hurt."

Jasper laughed, "They would have found that anyway."

Emmet chuckled, "I beg to differ." There was a loud smack, "Ouch! What was that for?" I looked over to see Emmet rubbing his head and a scowl on Rosalie's face.

"Idiot," Rosalie exclaimed. I could not help but to laugh at their antics.

"Anyway," I sighed, "I will remove the shield so you can relax Alice. I just wanted to show Jasper how I could help." I dropped the shield and Alice sighed in relief. "If any of you want me to shield you so you can surprise either me or Alice, just let me know. Of course," I chuckled, "we should probably warn Alice first so she does not have a heart attack."

Most of us laughed, but Alice just scowled, "You better warn me! It would send me into a panic if one of us suddenly disappeared."

"Of course we would, Alice," Esme soothed.

That seemed enough to cheer Alice up. She jumped right back into her prior excitement, "Ooh…I can't wait. We are going to be sisters." She was bouncing in place.

"What!" Charlie yelled. "Is that what that vision was about?" He scowled at Edward. "Bella is only eight years old!"

"Dad," I breathed, embarrassed. "Would you open your shield for me? I will show you."

"What and let him…" Charlie jerked his head toward Edward angrily, "…in my head. I do not think so."

I sighed, "I will place a shield around the both of us so that only I can hear you, if that will make you feel better."

Charlie sighed, "Okay." I stepped forward and placed a shield around us and after my nod he opened his.

His thoughts worried me a little, but mainly they just annoyed me, 'How dare he even think about it? She is only eight…eight! He will not steal my little girl from me!'

I placed my hand on his face and sent him my thoughts, 'Dad', I hissed, 'Edward is not stealing me away from you. Besides, I may only be eight, but I am an adult now and you know it. I have been for over a year now. Can't you just be happy that I am happy? You felt what we felt when we kissed didn't you? I know Jasper sent those emotions out.'

Charlie sighed, 'Yes. I am happy that you are happy,' he thought. 'I am also glad that you found your true mate in a vampire. It is a lot simpler that way. I am just…' he sighed again, 'I am just afraid to lose you, Bella. You are all I have. I also do not want to see you hurt.'

I smiled sadly at him. I sent him the picture of Edward's protective stance in the dream, 'There is no way Edward would hurt me, Dad. I know this was just a dream, but I know he would be just as protective. Remember the van?' Next, I sent him the vision of the wedding, 'Look how happy we both are, Dad. This is a vision based on decisions. I would not have had this vision if Edward did not love me as much as I do him. Finally, I then sent him a picture of our daughter, 'I do not know if she is real, or if I can even have children myself, but wouldn't you like to know your granddaughter if it is possible.'

I could see the venom glistening in Charlie's eyes as he watched these pictures. As he laid eyes on the picture of the daughter in the dream he smiled. I continued, 'Dad, you could never lose me. If we do marry, it won't be until after high school at least. Even then, I will not be going anywhere. Edward and I would remain with the Cullens, and you can remain here too. Maybe you can pretend to be Esme's brother. You would already be Uncle Charlie to Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmet anyway.

I spoke the rest aloud, "You would not be losing a daughter. You would be extending your family."

Esme smiled, "Of course, Charlie. You are both welcome here. Edward has been alone so long and Bella is such a remarkable girl. I would love to call her daughter and you brother."

I could feel the indecision in Charlie's mind, but he was wavering. He dropped his shield, effectively hiding his decision from me. He placed his hand on my cheek and gave me a warm smile before turning to Edward, "You two have my blessing." Then he narrowed his eyes, "If you hurt her though, I will rip you apart myself."

Edward chuckled nervously, "I could never hurt her Chief Swan."

Charlie guffawed, "Call me Charlie, Edward." He clapped Edward roughly on the back, "We will be family in a few years, after all."

Edward smiled widely, "Thanks, Charlie."

Charlie turned to Esme, "Thank you, Esme, for the welcome. It is an honor."

Esme waved it off, "Honor indeed. I am just glad to finally see my first son happy." Then she smiled, "I have also always wanted a brother. I could not think of two better people to add to the Cullen clan."

Carlisle nodded, "Agreed." He grinned, "We have room now if you would like to move in or would you rather wait until our children are actually married."

Charlie laughed, "Thanks for the offer, but I think it would be better to wait. I would rather not have these two living in the same house until they are married." He scowled at Edward, but then he smirked, "Besides, what would the town's folk think?"

Everyone laughed. "But that is the fun of it," Emmet joked. "Ouch! Rose!"

"Idiot," Rose muttered and then joined the rest of us as we started laughing again, this time at Emmet's expense.

Carlisle reigned in his amusement, "Understandable. We will wait until the marriage to officially combine households. We will also iron out the cover story for our next move closer to that time.

Carlisle contemplated for a moment, "I do think we will need to meet with the Quileute chief as soon as possible and include you on the treaty though. If there actually are any wolves that we are unaware of at the moment, I would hate for them to attack you since you are not officially part of the family yet. We will likely have to renegotiate the lines to include your house and hunting grounds as well."

Charlie looked confused, "You mentioned this treaty before. What does it entail?"

Carlisle smiled, "Well, the last time we were in Forks, we were out hunting one day and ran across a pack of werewolves. They were going to destroy us, but their leader, Ephraim Black, noticed our golden eyes and stopped to listen to us. When I explained that we did not hunt humans and that we only wanted peace, they agreed to a truce. They agreed that if we stayed off their land, kept their secret, and never bit another human that they would honor their side of the treaty. We agreed that if they did come on our land, did not harm a Cullen in the neutral zone, and did not reveal our secret that we would honor our side."

Charlie nodded, "Do you really think they will be willing to renegotiate to include my land and surrounding forest in the treaty?"

Carlisle sighed, "I think so, but if not we will work something else out. I would not want you two to be in any danger. Do you want me to call Billy and set up a time to discuss this?"

"Yes," Charlie agreed, "the sooner the better."

I snuggled up in Edward's lap while Carlisle dialed Billy's number, intrigued with the idea of meeting the wolves. I would love to ask them if they knew a Jacob. Of course, I was also afraid that they might because that would just confirm that part of my dream does exist. I shivered and Edward wrapped his arms tighter around me, "You cold?" he whispered in my ear.

I chuckled, "No, silly. I do not get cold. I just keep seeing parts of that dream." I shivered again.

"Shh," Edward soothed, "Don't worry. It was just a dream. We are safe."

I sighed, "I know. It does not make the memory any less scary though."

Edward kissed my cheek and pulled me tighter against his chest. I felt myself relax against him and focused on listening to Carlisle's conversation.

"Hello?" a gruff voice answered on the other end of the line.

"Is this Billy Black?" Carlisle asked.

A pause, "Yes…?" Billy answered suspiciously.

"Billy, this is Carlisle Cullen. Do you have a moment?" Carlisle said politely.

"What do you want?" was Billy's cautious reply.

Carlisle sighed, too quietly for Billy to hear, "Well, a few friends of ours have moved into the area recently. They are animal drinkers like us and we are making arrangements to make them a part of our family in the next few years. Until then they will be living in a separate residence in Forks. I thought it wise to contact you and see about renegotiating the treaty to include the new members of the Cullen family."

"Renegotiate?" Billy's voice was strained, "How many of you are there now?"

"Nine," Carlisle answered.

Billy gasped, "Nine?" There was a pause, "I will need to speak to the elders and the pack before I can give you an answer."

"That is understandable. If you decide to meet with us, we can meet in person in a neutral location or over the phone, which ever makes you feel more comfortable. I only ask that Charlie and Bella Swan are considered as part of our family until we can discuss this officially." Carlisle sounded like he was shocked, disappointed, and slightly worried all at once.

"I can give you no guarantees, but I will certainly pass that message on to the pack. I will call you at this number when I have an answer." Billy replied.

"Thank you, Billy." Carlisle said and I heard the line go dead on the other end.

Carlisle hung up with a sigh. "Well, it sounds like the wolves are back."


	11. Chapter 11: The Wolves

**A/N: In case you have trouble deciphering the different quotations, it goes as follows: **'Standard thoughts', _'Wolf thoughts'_, "Speech", and _Visions_. **I hope that helps.**

**Disclaimer:** Twilight and all characters of this story are property of Stephanie Meyer. I have no rights to this work, and seek no financial gain from it.

**Chapter Eleven: The Wolves**

* * *

We all sat in silence for a while, unsure of what to say in relation to the news. The wolves are back. Is it really possible that I had visions of them? Could this Jacob person be real? I really did not want to think about that. The idea of facing the Volturi was scary enough for me. I did not even want to imagine losing Edward.

We were all still staring into space, lost in our own thoughts, when Carlisle's phone rang forty minutes later. Carlisle's voice was slightly strained when he answered, "Hello?"

I could hear Billy's gruff voice on the other end, "Carlisle Cullen?"

"Yes," Carlisle replied steadier this time.

"This is Billy Black. I have spoken with Sam and the elders and they have agreed that we should meet. Sam wants to be sure that the pack can recognize all new members, so he wants to meet in person. I will be there as well to represent the tribal elders. If you will meet us at the treaty line on the southwest corner of your land we can discuss a renegotiation of the treaty. Will tonight be good for you?"

Carlisle looked at Charlie and me and we nodded in agreement, "Yes, Billy, that will be fine. What time do you want us there?"

"Can you meet in about an hour?" Billy asked.

"Yes, that sounds good. We will see you in an hour. Thank you, Billy." Carlisle smiled, slightly relieved.

"Yes, well, see you." Billy said. I heard the phone click on the other end and Carlisle hung up.

"I guess it would be a good idea for us to head on out. That will give us a chance to have a quick hunt before we meet with them. It will be tense enough as it is, we do not need to be thirsty too." Carlisle suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Jasper agreed.

Suddenly I saw Alice's eyes glaze over and seconds later I was also pulled into a vision. _We were all standing in a small clearing in the forest. A few yards away from us were three horse-sized wolves and a man in a wheelchair. The tension in the air was thick, but there was no aggression. I saw the great black wolf in the front nod his head and Carlisle said, "Thank you." Suddenly I spoke up from my place beside Edward, "Pardon me, but may I ask a question?" Everyone turned to look at me curiously._ As quickly as the vision had started I was blinking in an attempt to refocus on my surroundings.

Both Edward and Alice gasped. Alice shrieked, "Everything just went black. We were walking to the wolves and then suddenly all of our futures disappeared."

"What?" Jasper asked angrily. "Do you mean they attack us?"

Alice was panicked, "I do not know, but what other explanation is there?"

"I don't understand, Alice. The vision I saw showed us meeting with them peacefully. There are only three wolves and a man in the wheelchair. I saw the largest wolf nod and Carlisle thanked him." I was confused, why would her vision be different than mine.

Alice and Edward furrowed their brows. Edward squeezed my arm, "Do you think you could show me this vision?"

"Sure." I opened my shield and replayed the vision in my head. Up until I asked the question anyway. I was not sure how he would take that. I closed the shield again after Carlisle had thanked the wolf.

Edward nodded, "She's right. I wonder why Alice's vision was black. Bella saw it clearly."

Alice groaned, "What is wrong with me Carlisle? Am I losing my gift?"

Carlisle was thoughtful, "I doubt that is possible Alice. Maybe you just can not see the wolves and since Bella is a hybrid, like they are, she does not have the same problem. We will look into it the more after the meeting. For now, we need to get moving or we will be late."

We made our way toward the meeting place, feeding as much as possible along the way. When we arrived at the location, the sight before me was exactly as I had seen in the vision. There were three horse-sized wolves standing in a triangle formation next to a man in a wheelchair. I still could not figure out how they managed to get a wheelchair in the middle of the forest. I suppose one of the wolves carried him while in human form.

The nine of us cautiously approached the line, leaving a few yards between us and them so the wolves would not feel overwhelmed. The idea of three against nine with a human present was sure to make them uncomfortable. We approached slowly in a loose formation. We wanted to appear as none threatening as possible.

All the mated couples had their hands interlocked casually, including Edward and me. Carlisle and Esme were slightly in front of the rest of us as Carlisle is the leader of the coven. As the mind readers of the group, Edward and I were behind them with Charlie on my right side. Jasper, Alice, Rosalie, and Emmett took up the rear. I made sure to stay tuned into the minds of the Quileutes.

Carlisle stepped forward with his palms up in a gesture of peace, "Thank you for agreeing to meet with us. I hope you are doing well."

The wolves growled lightly, but they nodded. I could here them grumbling in their minds. _'Stupid bloodsuckers.' 'God do they reek.' 'There are so many of them, how can we trust them?'_ The man in the wheelchair's, who I now realized was Billy Black, thoughts were not much different from that of the wolves, but the words from his mouth were more polite, "We are. I hope the same fares for you and your…family." It would have been kind if not for the words in his mind, 'Hardly, stupid bloodsuckers, may they rot in hell.'

Carlisle smiled politely, "We are indeed well."

Billy continued, "Sam, our alpha," he gestured to the large black wolf next to him, "asked me to insure peace for he will need to return to human form for negotiations."

Carlisle nodded, "Of course, we mean no harm to you or the pack. We do, however, have a mind reader amongst our number. If Sam feels more comfortable in his wolf form, Edward will gladly translate for him."

Billy's eyes widened and the wolves growled in agitation. _'A mind reader?' 'Not good.' 'Well, at least I will not have to shift.'_

Sam stepped forward a little, and nodded his great black head, _'That is acceptable, bloodsucker.'_

Edward and I stepped forward next to Carlisle, and Edward translated, "Sam says that is acceptable."

The surprised and agitated grumbling rolled through the wolves again. _'Shit, he _can_ read minds.' _Edward and I chuckled.

Edward spoke the thoughts that crossed Sam's mind as he said them, "The original treaty mentioned five members. Were any of the new members created by the original five?"

Carlisle shook his head, "No. Alice and Jasper," he gestured to the family members in question, "found our family about many years ago and liking our way of life, joined us." Carlisle gestured to Charlie and me, "Charlie and Bella Swan heard about our family in the past and switched to the animal diet on their own. They moved to the area a few weeks ago and, as Edward has found his mate in Bella, they will be joining our family officially when the two wed after high school."

Edward translated again, "And these four are dedicated to not hurting humans?"

"Of course, that is one stipulation of remaining with our family. Many members of this family have never tasted human blood and the others are dedicated to never doing so again." Carlisle replied proudly.

The wolves were slightly impressed by this comment, but they did not trust us enough to believe he was telling the truth. Edward spoke for Sam again, "You mentioned something about the Swans living separately from you for now. Is his home and hunting grounds on your land?"

Carlisle shook his head, "No. Charlie is the new Police Chief for Forks. His home is inside the city and the surrounding forest is where they typically hunt."

Sam growled. Edward spoke again, "Inside the city? So close to the humans?"

"Their neighbors are not that close, and like me they have impeccable control. They would not have settled there if there was any danger." Carlisle soothed.

"I suppose you want us to stay off of their land as well?" Edward translated.

"Charlie?" Carlisle asked my dad.

Charlie was about to speak but I interrupted him, "Wait, Dad. Please, let me? This is important, I have seen it. Trust me?"

My dad looked at me curiously for a moment, but finally nodded his head with a sigh. I addressed Sam, "Staying off our land completely would leave too much of the Forks area unprotected. We only ask that you stay off of the immediate property, and most common hunting area behind the house, and that you do not enter the remaining hunting area in your wolf forms without prior notification. Any patrols done in the area will have to be made in human form. Rest assured that there will never be more than three of us hunting in that area at a time and we will attempt to steer clear of you when we are both in the area. However, if you are tracking a threat through that area, notify us of the need of your forms so that we may hunt elsewhere until the threat is nullified. We will be sure to notify you in advance if a friend is expected in that area."

The others looked at me with wide eyes after this little speech, even Billy and the wolves. To say they were shocked was an understatement. Sam's shocked thoughts stood out to me, _'Are they really so dedicated to preserving human life that they would allow us to patrol their property and even track down and kill a human drinker there? Do they really trust us that much?'_

His thoughts were difficult for me to not answer despite the fact that it would show I could read minds too, "That is why I worded the agreement like I did. Human life is definitely worth preserving. We all feel that way. As far as trusting you that much, I certainly do. I am not sure if the others feel the same, but I do know that at least they would never mean you any harm."

Sam jerked in shock, _'She reads minds too? Shit! But…she does not seem like the others, more trustworthy almost. Thank you, Bella.'_ I smiled and nodded in appreciation.

Edward spoke aloud for the remainder of Sam's comment, "Does Charlie and Carlisle agree to this statement?"

They looked at me curiously for a moment. I tapped my forehead to once again assert that I had seen that it was necessary. Charlie sighed and nodded, "I do."

Carlisle was shocked, but went along with it, "Then I do as well."

Sam deliberated with the others for a moment. Edward translated, "Very well. Take the time tonight to mark the borders of the two separate areas of your land. We will not enter the inner area of your property without advanced permission and will only enter the outer area in human form unless prior notice is given. The new vampires Alice, Jasper, Charlie, and Bella will now be considered part of the Cullen family and will be included in the treaty that was put in place by Ephraim Black and is honored by Billy Black and current pack. They will be safe from the pack unless any one of the now nine members breaches said treaty."

Carlisle smiled, "Thank you."

Just as I did in my vision I spoke from beside Edward, "Pardon me, but may I ask a question?"

Edward gave me a sharp glance, but did not stop me. Sam was hesitant but eventually nodded, '_Yes, Bella. What is it?'_

I smiled to myself. Sam was still referring to the others as bloodsucker in his head, but he was calling me by name. "Well, you see," I began hesitantly, "I have this gift that allows me to see things that may occur in the future." I heard Jasper and Rosalie hiss quietly behind me, they did not like me giving secrets away to the 'enemy.' I saw Sam's eyes widen slightly.

I continued, "I have seen a few things that involve the wolves, but a lot of it is confusing. Most of what I see indicates the possibility of a stronger alliance between us in a few years, but I can not be certain of why. Most of my visions include a russet-brown wolf. I guess I just wanted to see if he actually exists. I do not know his full name, but I believe his name is Jacob." Billy gasped and the wolves yelped in surprise. I blinked, "I guess you do know him."

Sam studied me closely, trying to determine if I was up to something. I could see him starting to notice the differences between me and the others and I glanced at Edward in alarm. Sam growled, _'What is this? What are you trying to pull? What are you?'_

I sighed, "I am sorry, Sam, we should have told you sooner. We try to keep that information a secret for my protection from certain vampires who would like to hurt me. Can I have your promise that you will tell no one outside of this meeting and your pack of the information I am about to share with you?"

Sam narrowed his eyes for a moment, but then finally nodded, _'As long as this information does not endanger my people, you have my word.'_

I sighed, "I guess that will have to do. You see, I am a vampire hybrid – half vampire/half human. Charlie is my biological father. His mate, my mother, was human. I am like the rest in most ways, but there are several differences. I have a heartbeat and blood in my veins. Instead of being cold, my body temperature runs at a typical one hundred and ten to one hundred and twelve degrees. While it is difficult for me to become injured, I can be, but then I heal very fast. I also sleep, though not as much as your typical human."

"There is really no reason for you to think of me as different from the others. I still drink animal blood and I am still fast and strong like any full vampire. That is the one reason we did not bother bringing it up. As far as my question is concerned, I am not trying to pull anything. I legitimately saw a stronger alliance between us in the future. I wanted to know if this Jacob was real because I have also seen him in a dream I had. I was not sure if I had pulled him from a prior vision or if he was a figment of my imagination." I furrowed my brow.

Sam cocked his head, 'Part human huh? We have never heard of that before. No wonder she seemed so different, so much more…human.' I smiled. His thoughts continued, 'Could this Jacob be Jacob Black?' he wondered. The boy in question flashed into his mind.

My eyes widened, "That's him. That is the Jacob I saw in my vision. He was the reason for our stronger alliance. The Jacob in my dream was in the form of a russet-brown wolf, but it was the same Jacob." I frowned at that thought, "He was protecting my daughter in the dream."

Sam looked confused, 'Your daughter?'

I furrowed my brow, "Well, I do not have a daughter yet obviously, and I am not even sure if I am able to have a child or not. But yes, he was protecting my daughter in the dream. Something about…an imprint…? I don't know." I shook my head, annoyed at the confusing jumble of visions I have yet to be able to organize in my mind.

Billy gasped, "Imprint?" He looked at Sam, "You don't think?"

Their thoughts were in a whirl. _'Jacob…Imprint…Bella's daughter…Her mate is a bloodsucker…No way…Jake imprint on a bloodsucker's child…That would certainly unite us, we would be like family then…Impossible.'_

"What does that mean?" I demanded annoyed.

A female's face flashed in Sam's mind, the image was filled with such love and devotion that I could not help but smile. Then his mind flashed to Jacob and the great wolf sighed, _'Imprinting is when a werewolf finds his soul mate. There is no bond stronger between him and his imprint.'_

I guess that explained the packs thoughts then. I looked at Edward and he was scowling. I admit the idea of any daughter of ours being mated with a werewolf did not exactly appeal to me either. Of course, the feeling that I got whenever Jacob appeared in a vision or dream was not one of disgust or anger, it was one of friendship and familial love. I also knew I could trust my daughter with him no matter what.

Maybe it was not quite so bad. After all, I was not even sure if any of this was actually from the visions at all. Maybe I saw him in the visions and just pulled him into my dreams. I would not know for sure until I pieced these visions together better.

I sighed, "I guess that makes sense. Of course, like I said, that part was from the dream. I am only certain of our alliance and future friendship because of the visions. I can not be certain I will ever have a daughter or if it is even possible. I know Jacob is a central figure in developing the friendship, but I do not know why."

Sam was doubtful in his thoughts, _'I do not know of anything that could cause us to be friends with a bunch of bloodsuckers other than that. Bella seems okay, but she is part human. She is different. What could Jacob do other than imprint to bring us together? I just do not see it. Maybe all of this has been a dream and she is confused. Friends with bloodsuckers, I doubt it,'_ He scoffed.

"Maybe you are right, Sam. Maybe I am just confused. It is not important at the moment anyway. Like I said, that is a few years in the future. Maybe I'll see more before then. Anyway, thank you for answering my question." I said genuinely grateful.

Sam's thoughts softened, _'You are welcome, Bella. Ask Carlisle if that is all?'_

I relayed Sam's question to Carlisle. He smiled, "Yes, thank you again, Sam."

Sam nodded. Edward translated for him, 'You are welcome. We would appreciate it if you would leave first. I have to shift to carry Billy back.'

"Of course," Carlisle replied. "Take care."

"You too," Billy called as we turned and made our way back to the Cullen house.


	12. AN: Sorry, Temporary Hiatus

A/N: I want to apologize to my readers that I have not been updating my stories as I had hoped. I have become distracted by the Southern Vampire Mysteries (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood series) by Charlaine Harris, and have sort of lost interest in Twilight for the moment. As such, I am stuck when it comes to continuing my stories.

Knowing how my 'distractions' tend to work, I will likely return to Twilight soon after Eclipse has hit the theaters. Hopefully, I will be able to continue the stories then. I assure you all, I have not abandoned them, they are just on hiatus. In the mean time, I may end up writing some one-shots for SVM/True Blood, but there are no guarantess. I hope that you all will be patient with me until my Twilight muse restarts itself.

Hope to have something for you all soon,

LGilbert1982


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